NEWARK -- In 2011, the United States Department of Agriculture adopted a visual, easily applicable method for helping Americans eat the recommend amounts of each food group.

It was a plate: A basic, round plate divided into segments proportional to what the average American's diet should include every day.

Half of it should be filled with fruits and vegetables (vegetables making up the greater portion); about a quarter is occupied by grains and protein, while a circle in the top right corner where a cup normally would be placed represents dairy.

"It gives them that visual cue for the five food groups and the appropriate portions for them," said Aundrea Parker, a dietitian with Licking Memorial Hospital.

On the official "Choose My Plate" website, choosemyplate.gov, visitors can research the daily allowance of each food group according to age, as well as descriptions of what specific foods are included in each group -- fruits, vegetables, grains, protein foods and dairy.

"The nice thing about the plate is it really enforces the, 'Half of your foods need to be fruits and vegetables,'" Parker said. "It also reminds you that you should have some sort of dairy."

Common ways of straying from the plate's guidelines are inflating portions of meat and starches -- typically not of the whole-grain variety -- and also opting for high-fat instead of lean meats, Parker said.

Wiser choices include skinless chicken, more fish or any pork or beef that is round or loin.

She also recommended "going vegetarian" occasionally, as vegetarian products tend to be lower in saturated fat.

In the dairy category, people often eat too much high-fat cheese instead of opting for lower-fat versions -- ideally those with less than five grams per ounce, Parker said. Skim and low-fat milk also should be chosen over their higher-fat counterparts.

As for fruits and veggies, she said, "Eat a variety -- they're good for you."

If children are picky eaters, parents can get them involved in choosing fruits and vegetables at the grocery store so they feel they have some ownership in the process.

Don't give up: "Keep encouraging it -- over time, they kind of will be willing to try it," Parker said.

Also, make it fun by using a lot of color and, if you're more ambitious, shapes: Parker has been known to cut her son's sandwiches in the shape of dinosaurs, one of his favorite things.

Remember that kids learn by example.

"If they see you eating a certain food, they may be more inquisitive to try," she said.

Finally, leave a little room for a treat once in awhile.

Parker recommends the "90-10 rule" for desserts, sweets and other indulgences: "Ninety percent of the time you need to eat healthy; the other 10 percent of the time, you can have those foods, you just want the appropriate serving sizes," she said.